The object of the present invention is a device and process for splicing textile threads using compressed air and liquid.
Compressed air devices for splicing textile threads are known (also known as splicers), both manually and mechanically operated, the latter being used chiefly on automatic spoolers.
In some cases, when required by the fibres and/or the characteristics of the yarns to be processed (e.g. in the case of linen or multi-cotton yarns) it is advantageous to add a certain amount of liquid (usually water) to the compressed air to increase splice resistance and improve its appearance. Such technology is shown for instance in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,583, U.S. Pat. No. 3,274,764 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,905.
The main drawback of these solutions is that the liquid, with the compressed air injected into the area where splicing takes place, runs over the splicer and machine parts nearby, causing serious maintenance problems, which are aggravated by dust in the textile environment, (particularly by fibres) in the air.
A solution to this problem is described in the Italian patent IT 1223431; in this solution the mixing chamber is set in a tank which is hermetically sealable, before or during the splicing operation.
Although having proved itself extremely effective, this solution has additional drawbacks, the biggest of which is the fact that the thread ends to be spliced must be well within the aforesaid tank when it is closed; otherwise even if just one end was held back, the splice would be prevented or, in any case, would be very weak, also resulting in at least one thread end protruding from the same.
Unfortunately the length of the thread ends is not always easily to verify after the preparation stage: this means a detwisting of the fibres which make up the threads and the detachment of some of these fibres which, sometimes, only partially occurs lengthening, in any case, the thread ends to be inserted in the tank.
Another drawback is that the pressure created in the tank, at the moment of immission of the splicing air jet into the mixing chamber, can disturb the normal air flow from the same and prevent correct splicing of the ends, with a consequent worsening in both appearance and resistance.
A further drawback is that the pressure created in the tank, at the moment of immission of the compressed air into the mixing chamber, tends to strain the hermetic seal of the tank, thus allowing water and air to escape.
The aim of the present invention is therefore to produce a device and a process for splicing textile threads using compressed air and liquid which solves the aforesaid problems, obtaining a high quality splice, both in terms of resistance and appearance.
These and other aims are reached by a device for the splicing of textile threads using compressed air and liquid, according to claim 1, to which reference is made for the sake of brevity.
In addition, the object of the present invention is a process for splicing textile threads using compressed air and liquid, according to claim 8.
Moreover, further characteristics of the present invention are defined in the other claims.
Further aims and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description that follows and from the enclosed drawings, supplied simply as explanatory, non-limiting examples, in which: